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Wearing Glasses After First Cataract Operation

(7 Posts)
BlackCat16 Mon 23-Aug-21 10:33:01

My Mum is having her first cataract operation this week, on her right eye. She wears varifocal glasses to correct long, mid-field and reading vision.
I understand that after the operation the new implanted lense should correct her distance vision but then that means her mid-field and reading will still need to be corrected in her right eye.
Until she has the second eye done, what might be the best solution glasses wise for her. I’m interested to know how those of you who have been through this have coped. Thanks in advance.

Peasblossom Mon 23-Aug-21 10:42:38

A relative has recently had this done and found the period between the first and second operation quite stressful. He had to keep the operated eye closed when trying to read the paper with his normal glasses on.

After a few days he contrived a kind of Heath-Robinson glasses affair, keeping the varifocal lens for the bad eye and replacing the other lens with a cheap reading glasses lens.

For distance he just took the lens out of another pair and went around with one eyed glasses for the poor eye.

It was a bit comical.

Now he’s had both done and is so delighted with his new vision.

SueSocks Mon 23-Aug-21 10:57:47

I only had a cataract in one eye initially, so maybe my situation is a bit different. I also wore varifocals. There is a wait of several weeks after the op until you can get your eyes tested and get new glasses so in this interim period I purchased some ready readers and used those, wasn't perfect but I managed! I have heard other people suggesting what Peasblossom suggested above. My second cataract was operated on several years later and I again used ready readers until I could have an eye test and get the correct prescription.
The time between operations or between the op and the eye test is tricky but the change in your mum's vision after the op will be amazing.

M0nica Mon 23-Aug-21 16:40:51

Before I had each of my cataract operations I got my optician to take out the lens in my glasses frame from the side of the eye to be treated and leave it empty. It stayed that way until I had another eye test after the operation, when a new correct lens was inserted.

My sight was a bit lopsided for the interim six weeks, but a darn sight better than struggling to look through a lens that was now too strong for the eye it was in front of.

Peasblossom Mon 23-Aug-21 20:43:24

Gosh, M0nica, that’s so sensible and so obvious now I’ve read it.

I shall remember to do that when the time comes for mine to be done?

Floradora9 Mon 23-Aug-21 21:37:13

My surgeon would not do a full correction on my first eye to be done as it would be so difficult to cope with . I got a half correction and found I could wear old glasses or reding glasses but mine were not variofocals. Do get good advice as your mum might fall is her sight is off kilter.

BlackCat16 Tue 24-Aug-21 00:08:47

Thank you all for your very helpful advice. Floradora9, my concern is Mum possibly falling so I will stay with her until I am happy that she can cope on her own.